Oregon Cottage Joins The Challenge

The ladies at two of my favorite blogs are hosting an “Eating From the Pantry” challenge that with my loaded freezer and bulging stockpile sounds good to me!

It also coincides with some new goals I have here at the OC (isn’t that funny? I think I’m exactly the opposite of what people think of when they hear “OC!”) that I will be updating you about soon. So this challenge will give me the chance to take the first weeks of the new year to refine some goals and even change some ways I’ve been doing things.

Plus, it will be nice not having to shop as much.

Everyone’s goals look a little different, but all adhere to the idea of using up some of what we’ve got during the month of January and therefore spending less on food. The money saved can go toward debt, house improvements, charity, or whatever- it’s up to the individual family.

Here are some of my goals for this challenge for our family:

1. Strategically use items from the freezer, especially meats. The freezer is bulging, and not just from garden produce! I’d like to use up the meat I’ve accumulated to make room for some bulk purchases I’d like to make in the future.

2. Obviously, I’d like to use up items from the pantry as well. I haven’t been super organized about it, and I think I’ve got things that have been moved to the back that need to be used. So I guess I’ll be organizing, as well!

3. I will shop for produce, dairy, and health goods as needed, as well as any screaming deal on things I know we well use that don’t happen often. But I’d like to keep under $200 for the month for us, saving $175 for us to put toward our debt or home improvements- in other words, something lasting. That will make it worth it for me.

OK, so I’ll keep you updated on how I’m progressing (I just knew you’d want to be with occasional check-ups. I’ve read some of the other participants are going to be creating new dishes with whatever is in their cupboards, which makes me nervous because I’m a recipe follower. I very rarely make anything up- I’m much better at adapting!

Hope I can adapt to this!

I was surprised at how many are joining this challenge- will any one else attempt this? I’d love it hear if you are!

Laura- I’m too chicken to post my pantry pics (though you can see my freezer in the remodeling series posts). And I have to take the menu a week at a time or I’ll get overwhelmed…guess I’m just puttin’ my toes in the water first!

Jean- Holy Cow- February to May?! You must have some amazing pantry!

Jacki- I hear you about the stress- I’m a little nervous about it, too, so will just take it a week at a time, but I gotta have a menu- I’m conditioned now.

I’m in too! I did post a picture of my pantry…I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m trying to decide if I will try to plan for the whole month or a week at a time. I think you might have just convinced me to take it a week at a time